| Getting down and dirty with the Naneu Urban Gear U30n |
| Tuesday, 06 December 2011 17:00 |
Photography writer Matty Graham finds the compact backpack the ultimate stealth weapon while on assignment at a tattoo parlor.
Matty Graham The assignment was simple but not without its problems. My job was to shoot a fellow artist at work, although while I use lenses and flash, this guy does his talking with needles and ink. Ouch!
The problems though were as follows: the tattoo parlor was small, so I couldn’t burst in with a huge kit bag and take up half the room with my kit. Also, the shoot location wasn’t in the best part of town, so I didn’t want to carry a bag that would advertise my expensive camera to would-be thieves. So, the solution was to use the Naneu Urban Gear U30n – a fairly compact and discreet photobag that would hold enough equipment to get the shot I wanted, but wouldn’t make me stand out or be in the way of the tattoo artist.
At first glance, this bag is compact, but looks can be deceiving and the fact of the matter is that the Urban Gear U30n can hold a DSLR with a 70-200mm lens attached. I didn’t need a telezoom so I added my normal camera body, attached with a 18-55mm zoom, along with an extra lens (50mm f/1.8), a flashgun, filter and pair of wireless flash triggers. At the front of the bag is a zipped compartment to hold memory cards, leads, batteries and other accessories. All the gear I needed in a light, compact and discreet package, ready to move at a moments notice.
The build quality of this unit is robust. The carry handle feels strong and trust-worthy, which is especially reassuring when you’re transporting top-dollar gear. The build is backed up with Naneu’s limited lifetime warranty and the stitching is second to none- all this in a bag that costs just $79.99!
During the shoot, space was tight and I had to change angles several times, making space for the tattoo artist to do his thing. The big grab handle on the Urban Gear U30n enabled me to lift the bag out the way, snap some more shots and relocate to a different spot. Photography is exhausting work, and this ink job took hours! While I wasn’t in as much discomfort as the poor guy on the chair, I was glad to be able to pull a bottle of water from the holder to the side of the Urban Gear U30n and quench my thirst – rehydration is important when on locations.
With the photoshoot over, I packed up and headed out in to the night. The heavens opened and it rained in biblical proportions but I was, quite literally, covered and slipped on the Urban Gear U30n’s rain cover. The last thing I wanted to do was get my gear wet and have to spend another day around all those needles!
* $79.99 * Limited Lifetime Warranty * 30.5H x 26.7W x 16.5D cm * 0.91 kg * Can accommodate a DSLR (such as the Nikon D90 or Canon Digital Rebel XSi with up to a 70-200 f/2.8 lens attached, as well as 2-3 additional lenses and a flash).
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